How to Spot Suspicious Betting in Football Matches: A Beginner's Guide

Chris Rasmussen, one of the world's leading match-fixing spotters, walks World of Crime readers through how he spots suspicious matches by looking at the odds.

By Chris Kronow Rasmussen, adjunct lecturer on anti-match fixing and crime prevention at University of New Haven

In recent years, match-fixing has become a growing threat in football, especially in lower-tier competitions. One example comes from a Brazilian football match, where unusual odds movements and betting activity first raised alarms among experts.

Here’s how betting integrity experts identify when something isn’t quite right—and what’s happening behind the scenes from a match-fixer's perspective.

Step 1: Unusual Odds Movements

What Experts See

Odds in a football match generally follow the game's developments—player injuries, team performance, and key events like goals or red cards. However, when odds begin to shift significantly without any obvious changes in the match, this could be a red flag.

Example: During a match where the s…